NBA Mock Draft: Rockets Take Talented Duke Freshman
![Wisconsin Lutheran High School's Kon Knueppel (33) goes up for a layup against Pewaukee High School in the Division 2 state championship game during the WIAA state boys basketball tournament on Saturday, March 16, 2024 at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wis.
Tork Mason/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin Wisconsin Lutheran High School's Kon Knueppel (33) goes up for a layup against Pewaukee High School in the Division 2 state championship game during the WIAA state boys basketball tournament on Saturday, March 16, 2024 at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wis.
Tork Mason/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_2766,h_1555,x_0,y_0/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/inside_the_rockets/01j5c60q89fzz5jdrkvj.jpg)
The Houston Rockets have a mountain of prospects that they have added over the years, but they could look to add to it in next summer's draft.
With the No. 12 overall pick in Bleacher Report analyst Jonathan Wasserman's mock draft, the Rockets selected Duke forward Kon Knueppel.
"Any preconceived concerns about Kon Knueppel's athleticism should fade once he shows off his scoring instincts and shooting," Wasserman writes. "Duke also listed him at 6'7", 217 pounds, solid numbers for a wing if they check out in May at the NBA combine. His 22.5 points per game led the EYBL last year, and his physical build and shotmaking hint at translatability. Even if he comes off the bench after Duke added transfers Maliq Brown, Mason Gillis and Sion James, Knueppel's skill level, IQ and efficiency should pop similar to how Reed Sheppard did in a reserve role at Kentucky."
Knueppel, 19, will have to compete for playing time in a talented Duke recruiting class, but he is expected to get enough opportunity to potentially become a lottery pick.
It remains to be seen what Knueppel's exact role will be with Duke and the NBA, but he has the size and repertoire that's needed of an NBA wing and that's even before he steps foot onto campus at one of the country's best schools for basketball and a professional locker room.
Want to join the discussion? Like Rockets on SI on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Rockets news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.